I created a huge 3D Christmas Tree Cake last year, and this year it was even more fun making mini versions. Especially since JOANN has such a great assortment of Holiday sprinkles right now. I was so dazzled by the festive sprinkles in their cake decorating aisle that it was hard to choose just one! I ended up with tons of sprinkles between the Wilton 6 pack of blue winter sprinkles and the double pack of Handmade Holiday sprinkles. They all look so great together on these mini Christmas trees. Just look at those tiny gingerbread men and snowflakes!

Underneath all those pretty sprinkles are four layers of cake ranging from 4 inches in diameter to ½ inch. When you stack them on top of one another they end up looking like tiny wedding cakes before you frost them up into a Christmas tree shape! From there, all that’s left to do is use your favorite piping tip to add some details and then decorate to your heart’s desire. You can get really creative with how you decorate these cuties and it’s the perfect project to do with little ones! 

Here’s a quick video of the process before you read all about how to make these mini Christmas tree cakes below:

If you’re into cake decorating videos like this one, be sure to check out my YouTube channel! I’m always adding fun tutorial and recipe videos there, and if you click the Subscribe button you’ll never miss a new one.

You Will Need

• 8 baked 4-inch cake layers
• Circular Fondant Cutter Set
• 2 batches of vanilla buttercream
• Green food color gel
• Piping bags
• Small icing spatula 
• Wilton Tip 4B
• Wilton Blue Holiday Sprinkle Mixes
• Wilton Handmade Holiday Sprinkles
• Gumpaste or fondant star 
• 4 inch cardboard cake circles

Step 1: Color the Buttercream

First thing’s first. We’ll need to color that big batch of buttercream. Note that you can use any color (or combination of colors!) you want for these mini Christmas trees. I went with a classic shade of green that I made using the Wilton Color Right System.

I think these mini Christmas trees would end up looking amazing in some non-classic colors as well. I’m dying to try them in a vibrant pink or bright white! 

Step 2: Cut out the Cake Layers

Next, it’s time to make all the different sized layers for stacking. Keep three of the 4-inch cake layers as-is, then use the Circular Fondant Cutter Set to cut out smaller circles from the remaining layers.

You’ll need three sets of each size since this tutorial ends up making three total mini Christmas trees, and it’s best to map out where you’ll be cutting each cake layer before you start. I used the 3 inch, 2 inch, and ½ inch circular cutters to create three sets of each size.

Check out this video to see how I planned out where to cut each layer! 

Step 3: Fill and Stack the Cake Layers

Now that you have four different sized layers per mini Christmas tree, it’s time to fill and stack them. Fill a piping bag with buttercream, snip off a ½ inch opening, and place a small dot onto a 4 inch cardboard cake circle, then place the 4 inch cake layer on top. Add a thin layer of buttercream and place the next smallest layer on top. Continue the process until you’ve got what looks like a mini version of a tiered wedding cake (so cute!).

Repeat this step three times, or per amount of mini Christmas trees you’re making.

Step 4: Ice and Shape the Mini Christmas Trees

With your first mini Christmas tree on a cake turntable, use the same piping bag from Step 3 to pipe buttercream all around the cake.

Then, use a small icing spatula to shape the cake into a tree (aka cone) shape.

Repeat until you’ve got three mini Christmas trees shaped, then pop them all into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to let the buttercream set up. 

Step 5: Pipe the Details

Fit a piping bag with your favorite piping tip and fill it with more buttercream. I ended up using Wilton Tip 4B because I love how easy it is to create stunning texture. Starting at the bottom of the tree and working your way up, pipe open stars in even lines until the entire tree is covered with them.

Although I’m using Wilton Tip 4B to pipe the details on my mini Christmas trees, I think they would also look amazing with Wilton Tip 352 (leaf tip), Tip 233 (grass tip), or really any piping tip that you can create fun texture with. 

Step 6: Decorate with Holiday Sprinkles 

Finally, add generous amounts of sprinkles to each mini Christmas tree. I used the Wilton Winter Blue sprinkle set to add blue and white snowflakes, jimmies, and spherical sprinkles that look like tiny ornaments. Then I used the Handmade Holiday sprinkles to add more color and tiny gingerbread men.

When you’re finished sprinkling, add a star to the top of each mini Christmas tree. For these, I tinted some gumpaste yellow, rolled it out thin, and cut out each star with a small star cutter. After about 24 hours it’s totally dry to the touch and ready for topping your trees!

Pretty cute, right? Such a fun Holiday project whether it’s for adorning your dessert table or creating some festive memories with the family!

Not only does JOANN have the ideal Holiday sprinkles for your bakes this season, you’ll find everything else you need for this project. From piping tips and cake pans to chocolate molds and beyond, it’s where I buy the majority of my cake decorating supplies and I know you’ll love their selection. Check out your local JOANN store or their website for all your cake decorating needs (and then some). My recent cart add-ons besides cake stuff: mason jars, photography backgrounds, a grow your own geodes kit, some home decor for the Holidays, and three rolls of yarn because I’m really optimistic about teaching myself to knit now.

Disclaimer: I was compensated by JOANN for my work of creating this project, styling, filming, photographing, and writing about their products. As always, all opinions are honest and my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support Sugar & Sparrow.

The post How To Make Mini Christmas Tree Cakes appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

My husband and I are big fans of the Great British Baking Show (if you haven’t seen it, power up Netflix right now!) and the other night we were watching a contestant bake a cranberry orange flavored dessert. While I’ve never really been all that intrigued to use those flavors before, my husband leaned over and said, “A cranberry orange cake would be delicious. You should make it.” It’s because of him that I found myself in the kitchen zesting oranges and rolling cranberries in sugar, wide-eyed at the Holiday scents filling the air. I ended up with a delicious orange flavored cake dotted with fresh, juicy cranberries, topped with zesty orange buttercream and tons of Christmas cheer! Thanks for the suggestion, husband. You were right. 

Cranberry and orange are a classic Holiday pairing, making this cake ideal for any festive gathering. It’s got a moist, light crumb and is so pleasantly aromatic (your kitchen will smell amazing). The sweetness of it all is balanced perfectly with the tartness of the cranberries, giving it just the right amount of zing. Much like any citrus cake, the orange flavoring comes mostly from the zest. You’ll want to zest one super large orange (or two smaller ones) before you get started with this recipe, and keep in mind that you’ll be dividing the zest between the cake batter and buttercream. 

I used fresh, whole cranberries in this cake recipe, but word on the street is that you can use frozen whole cranberries as a substitute. If you do, just make sure you don’t thaw them before adding them to the cake batter. And a pro tip for making sure they don’t sink to the bottom of your cake pan in the baking process: toss them in some flour before folding them in! The coating of flour keeps them suspended, and this trick also works with things like chocolate chips, sprinkles, and pretty much anything you would want to fold into cake batter. Life changing!

This cake tastes incredible with orange buttercream (recipe below), which is what I used to fill and frost it. As an alternative, you could also pair this cranberry orange cake with vanilla buttercream or cream cheese buttercream and either choice would be delicious. I love how the orange buttercream enhances the flavor of this cake and if you look real close, you can see tiny flecks of orange zest! Flecked buttercream always makes me swoon. 

In all honesty, my first attempt at decorating this cake was almost disastrous. I had this idea in my mind to tint the buttercream a light orange and give it a retro look, but what actually happened was the buttercream ended up looking like the color of a bandaid. I kept holding up the orange slices and sugared cranberries next to it and telling myself that the color scheme would look better on the cake, but in the end it just wasn’t as pretty as the natural color of the buttercream, so I started all over again and saved the other batch for another cake project. 

To decorate, I frosted a smooth layer of orange buttercream and piped portions of the cake with Wilton Tip 4B (for the stars) and Wilton Tip 1M (for the rosettes). Then I added sugared cranberries (I used this recipe for those) and some candied orange slices from Trader Joe’s. Holiday cake perfection inside and out!

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Cranberry Orange Cake Recipe

Layers of light and zesty orange cake with fresh, whole cranberries folded in. Topped with orange flavored buttercream to give it extra zing. The perfect Holiday cake for any festive gathering!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

Cranberry Orange Cake

• 2 1/2 Cups (260g) cake flour, sifted before measuring
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 Cups (335g) granulated white sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp orange zest from about 1/2 large orange
• 1/4 Cup (60g) sour cream, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 Cup (177ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 1/4 Cup (59ml) fresh squeezed orange juice from about 1/2 large orange
• 1 1/2 Cups fresh whole cranberries coated in 1 Tbsp flour

Orange Buttercream

• 2 Cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp orange zest from about 1/2 large orange
• 7 Cups (840g) powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
• 3 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
• pinch of salt, or to taste

Instructions

Make The Cranberry Orange Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch or two 9-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and placing a wax or parchment paper circle into the bottom of each one. Measure the cake flour by spooning into your measuring cup and leveling it. Place it into a medium sized bowl and add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together and set aside. Mix together the orange juice and whole milk and set aside.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), cream the butter for on high for two minutes until it's light and fluffy. Add in white granulated sugar and continue to mix on high for another two minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add the orange zest, sour cream, and vanilla and mix for one minute on medium-high, scraping down the bowl and paddle once more.
• With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the whole milk and orange juice mixture in a steady stream and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs to make sure there are no lumps. Make sure the cranberries are coated in 1 Tbsp of flour, then gently fold them into the batter.
• Pour batter evenly between the cake pans (fill them no more than ⅔ full) and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pan for ten minutes before removing and continuing to cool on a wire rack or flat surface.

Make The Orange Buttercream

• With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter with the orange zest on medium-high until the butter is creamy and light (almost white) in color. About 7 minutes. 
• With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next one. 
• Add the orange juice, milk, and salt and mix on medium-low for another two minutes until fully incorporated. 

Assembly

• Once the Cranberry Orange Cakes have cooled completely, fill and frost the layers with Orange Buttercream. To create the design pictured, fit one piping bag with Wilton Tip 4B and another piping bag with Wilton Tip 1M before filling each with the remaining Orange Buttercream. Pipe rosettes and stars onto the top of the cake in a crescent moon shape, then pipe some more onto the bottom of the cake on the opposite side. Add some sugared cranberries and candied orange slices wherever you wish!

Notes

Make Ahead Notes:

1. The cake layers can be made ahead and stored, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to two days. Alternatively, you can store the wrapped cake layers in the freezer for up to 2 months before thawing and frosting.
2. The Orange Buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency. 

What are some of your favorite Holiday cake recipes? This cranberry orange cake has become one of mine! Let me know what you’re baking right now and if you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment to let me know how you like it and tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me!

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This sprinkle mix by SprinklePop is called Fahoo Fores and the name alone sold me. I’m a huge fan of all things Whoville, and when I saw the actual colors and shapes involved I almost squealed! It features all the Grinchy colors like neon pinks and greens, aquas and reds, plus some teeny tiny (shiny!) gelatin Christmas trees. Perfect for adorning festive holiday cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and whoopies! Ok, I’ll stop with the rhyming because I’m no Dr. Seuss but it was tempting to write this entire post that way. Nerd alert!

It all starts with a 12 x 18 inch sheet cake in whatever flavor you’d like. If you’ve got circular cake cutters to use, all the power to you! I don’t, so I printed out some circular templates on paper and cut out the layers out by hand. Every size you need is specified below. Then, stack those layers, frost them to create a cone-like shape, pipe on the leafy details, and sprinkle away! It’s really that simple. 

You Will Need:

• A baked 12 x 18 inch sheet cake
• Circular cake cutters or printed templates for 7”, 6”, 5”, 4”, 3.5”, 3”, and 2” circles
• 8 inch cardboard cake circle
• 2.5 batches vanilla buttercream (or other light colored buttercream) tinted green
• Angled icing spatula
• Wilton tip 4B
• Piping bags
• 8oz bottle of Fahoo Fores sprinkles (or other favorite Holiday mix)
• ½ inch star made out of gumpaste or fondant

Step 1: Cut Out The Cake Layers

Use circular cake cutters to cut out cake circles that are 7”, 6”, 5”, 4”, 3.5”, 3”, and 2”. If you’re like me and you don’t have all those cake cutters, you can print out circles that are sized to the above dimensions, then use a paring knife to carefully cut those circles out of your sheet cake.

Step 2: Stack The Cake Layers

Put a swipe of buttercream onto your cardboard cake circle and place your largest cake layer on top of it. Frost a thin layer of buttercream filling on top before adding the next largest cake layer.

Repeat stacking the increasingly smaller cake layers until you’ve placed the smallest layer on top.

Step 3: Crumb Coat The Cake

Place the green buttercream into a piping bag and snip off a ½ inch opening. Pipe over the outside of the cake to cover all the gaps.

Next, use your angled icing spatula to smooth over the buttercream and shape it into a cone. When you’re finished shaping the cake, place it into the refrigerator for 20 minutes to let it firm up before moving on to the next step.

Step 4: Pipe The Cake

While the Christmas tree cake is chilling, prepare a piping bag by fitting it with Wilton Tip 4B (or other favorite piping tip for the finish) and pipe to cover the entire cake.

Step 5: Decorate With Sprinkles

This part is the most fun, because just like decorating a real Christmas tree, you can place these Fahoo Fores sprinkles to look like ornaments!

Place all of the larger spherical sprinkles around the tree by hand, then sprinkle the jimmies and gelatin Christmas trees all over it. Top it with a fondant or gumpaste star and marvel at your super easy (yet complicated looking) 3D Christmas tree!

I hope you’re having the happiest Holiday season and baking all the things! If you’re ready to venture out into oddly shaped cakes, this is the perfect project for you. Let me know if you make it by tagging me on Instagram – I love to see what you’re working on!

Disclaimer: this post does contain some affiliate links, meaning I may receive a small commission if you click them and purchase items I’ve recommended. Using these links won’t cost you any extra money, but they do help to keep Sugar & Sparrow up and running. Thank you for your support!

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There’s something about using buttercream to glue candy onto gingerbread that evokes whimsy and creativity, no matter what age you are. It’s one of my favorite Holiday traditions, and although it’s a whole lot of fun to decorate a gingerbread house, I find that they end up being more for displaying than eating. Maybe it’s because in order to get a solid structure, you’ve got to make sure the gingerbread is rock hard, or maybe it’s because you’re just so proud of your creation that it’s too pretty to eat. Either way, I wanted to pair the fun of creative candy placement with a gingerbread cake that actually tastes good enough to eat! Behold:

So much fun, right? I actually made a similar gingerbread cake last year, but decided to revamp it this year to focus more on tweaking the flavors. Last year, my cake was a little too dense and molasses-y, and did not pair super well with the rich chocolate ganache it was covered in. So this year I made a few changes to amplify flavor and create a gingerbread cake that’s moist and delicious, tastefully spiced, and so easy to whip up!

I decided to pair the gingerbread cake with a cinnamon-vanilla buttercream filling to really bring out the flavor in the cake. I chose chocolate buttercream for the finish because it actually makes the cake look like gingerbread, so when decorated with candy and white chocolate ganache, it has more of a striking resemblance to the gingerbread house creations we know and love. Thankfully, the chocolate buttercream actually pairs so well with the cake and filling flavors, so you’ve got a Holiday cake that looks too pretty to eat but actually tastes good! A win win in my book.  

For decorating this cake, all you need is your favorite Christmas candy, a half batch of vanilla buttercream, some pretty piping tips, and imagination that’s fueled by Holiday spirit! I love Wilton tip 4B (the open star tip) for whimsical finish work like this, and I’ve also used Wilton tip 3 to pipe some small dots. The white chocolate ganache drip is totally optional, but it reminds me of the royal icing that’s used to glue gingerbread structures together, so I added one for looks. It’s got such a light flavor that it doesn’t clash with all the rest of the flavors going on. I’ve got the recipe here just in case you want to add one yourself!

Here’s a quick video to demonstrate the decorating techniques I’ve used to create this gingerbread cake: 

Since the design of this cake is meant to be a bit childlike and fun, decorating it would be such a fun project to do with little ones! Just an idea for your long Holiday weekend as an alternative to the traditional gingerbread house. Whatever you decide to do design-wise, I think these flavors make the perfect Christmassy dessert to celebrate the season!

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Gingerbread Layer Cake Recipe

A Holiday classic: layers of moist and flavorful gingerbread cake filled with spiced vanilla buttercream, topped with chocolate buttercream and Christmas candy. 

Ingredients

Gingerbread Cake

• 3 3/4 cups (400g) cake flour, sifted before measuring
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 1/8 cup (254g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cup (310g) granulated white sugar
• 1/2 cup (95g) packed brown sugar
• 5 eggs, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (118ml) molasses
• 1 1/2 cup (355ml) full fat buttermilk* see notes for diy recipe

Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream Filling

• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 1/2 cups (420g) powdered sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• 1 1/2 cups (339g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 5 cups (600g) powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup (63g) natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 Tbsp (60ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

Make The Gingerbread Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 8-inch or four 6-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with a cooking spray (Baker's Joy is my favorite) and a wax paper circle fitted to the bottom of the pan. Alternatively, you can grease and lightly flour the pans. 
• Sift the cake flour and then measure by spooning and leveling it in your measuring cup. Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), cream the butter for on high for two minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Add in white and brown sugars and beat on medium-high for another two minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add vanilla and molasses and mix for one minute on high, scraping down the bowl and paddle once more. 
• With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the buttermilk and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs to make sure there are no lumps. Batter will be slightly thick, but pourable.
• Pour batter into prepared cake pans (no more than 2/3 of the way full) and bake for 35-40 minutes. They’re done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they’re entirely room temperature before applying any frosting.

Make The Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream

• In a large bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. Cream butter on med-high until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes), scraping down bowl and paddle a few times in between. Add powdered sugar/cinnamon mixture a few cups at a time, scraping down bowl and paddle between intervals. Mix on medium until fully incorporated.
• Turn mixer to low and add vanilla and milk. Mix on medium for two minutes. Scrape down bowl and paddle and add salt. Mix for another minute on medium until incorporated.

Make The Chocolate Buttercream

• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip butter on medium speed until creamy and light in color, about four minutes. Scrape down the bowl and paddle and add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, salt, and vanilla extract. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for two minutes.

Assembly

• Fill and crumb coat the room temperature cake layers with Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream and chill for 20 minutes in the refrigerator. Frost the final coat of the cake with Chocolate Buttercream and chill for another 30 minutes. Decorate by adding a white chocolate ganache drip (optional) and adhering candy to the cake with Vanilla Buttercream. Alternatively you can adhere the candy with Chocolate Buttercream or Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream.

Notes

*Homemade Buttermilk Recipe: if you can’t find full fat buttermilk at your local store, you can easily make it yourself by adding 4 tsp white vinegar to a jar and pouring 1 cup of whole milk over the top. Give it a few whisks and let it sit for 15 minutes before using or placing in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.  

Make Ahead Tips: The Gingerbread Cake can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic, for up to one day. Alternatively, you can tightly wrap the cake layers and place them in the freezer for up to two months before thawing and using.

The buttercream recipes can be made ahead and stored in airtight containers at room temperature for up to one day. Alternatively, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to two weeks before bringing back to room temperature and re-whipping with your stand mixer to bring them back to the correct consistency.

What are you planning on making for your Holiday dessert table this year? I really hope you get a chance to make this cake! If you love the flavor of spicy gingerbread + the soft, fluffy texture of cake, this recipe is a real Christmas treat. Let me know if you make it by tagging me on Instagram or letting me know in the comments! Happy Holidays! 

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Incorporating sprinkles into cake design is something I’ve loved from the beginning of my cake making journey. But although I’ve been caking for years, I’ve never actually attempted to cover an entire cake in sprinkles – until now, that is! Behold:

How pretty are those sprinkles? They’re the Oh Snow Cute sprinkle mix by SprinklePop and they’re part of a beautiful collection of Holiday sprinkles available in their shop! I love the color contrast of the icy blues and Christmas reds, and if you look real close you’ll find some tiny little snowmen and snowflakes mixed in (hence the name “Oh Snow Cute”). I think they’re so perfect for a non-green-and-red Holiday look, but you’ve got to check out the other Holiday sprinkles in the collection because they’re all so beautiful!

I was totally surprised to find that covering a cake with sprinkles was actually easy, even as a first timer. All you need is a smooth buttercream cake and a tray full of sprinkles to roll it around in! Ok, maybe there are a few other things you need, but I promise I will spare no details so you can reach sprinkle cake greatness. Here’s a quick video of the process before I walk you through the step-by-step below:

You Will Need:

• 8oz bottle of Oh Snow Cute sprinkles (or other favorite sprinkle mix)
• A baking sheet
• A crumb coated cake
• Enough buttercream for a final frosting layer
• Icing scraper
• Angled icing spatula
• Cake turntable
• Cardboard cake circle (the same diameter as your cake)

Step 1: Frost The Sides Of Your Cake

Start by frosting the sides of your cake only. Use your icing scraper to create smooth, straight sides as a buttercream finish. For the buttercream ridge that forms around the top rim of the cake, use your angled icing spatula to frost it inward (across the top of the cake) and create sharp edges around the top rim.

When your sides are looking smooth and your edges are looking sharp, place the cake into the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes so the buttercream begins to set, but isn’t too firm to the touch.

Step 2: Spread Sprinkles Onto Baking Sheet

While your cake is chilling in the refrigerator, spread the sprinkles onto the baking sheet. Feel free to shake them around so they get mixed up really well.

Step 3: Roll The Cake In Sprinkles

Remove the cake from the refrigerator and place a cardboard cake circle on top of the cake. With one hand on the top cardboard cake circle and one hand on the bottom one, gently roll the cake through the sprinkles.

Feel free to stop halfway around, shake the sprinkle tray to keep the sprinkles well mixed, and continue rolling the cake until the sides are completely covered.

Step 4: Ice The Top Of The Cake

Place the cake back onto your turntable and remove the cardboard circle from the top of the cake, then frost the top with buttercream.

Use your angled icing spatula to make sure the top of the cake is as smooth and level as possible while maintaining your sharp edges. When you’re finished, pop the cake back into the refrigerator for about five minutes so the buttercream on top begins to set slightly.

Step 5: Cover The Top In Sprinkles

Finally, pour sprinkles over the top of the cake and smooth them with your icing spatula until the entire top is level and covered in sprinkles.

Voila! A sprinkle-covered masterpiece! I ended up piping an open star border with my Wilton Tip 6B for some extra flair. 

The best part about this technique is that it will work with sprinkles of all shapes and colors. It’s an easy way to make an eye-catching creation, whether it’s for the Holidays or any day!

The post How To Cover A Cake In Sprinkles appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

The term “Merry & Bright” is a snippet of a lyric from one of my favorite Bing Crosby holiday songs (White Christmas). It’s also a great movie if you’re looking for a seasonal classic to watch this year, or every year! The cool thing is, you can really pipe any Christmassy saying or song lyric onto the top of the cake and get the same vibe with this technique. Here’s a super quick video to show you how it’s done:

Having a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 3 is essential to piping clean lines for the lettering and the rest of the Christmas light cords. I like to have a handful of these tips on hand for the individual Christmas lights as well, because it makes piping dots more precise. You can use any color combination you’d like for the little light bulbs, but I’ve gone with a colorful scheme using my Americolor gels (the exact colors are detailed below).

As long as you have all of your colors mixed and piping bags ready to go, you can create this design in about ten minutes from start to finish! That makes this one of the quickest and easiest Holiday cake designs ever, and in this busy time of year, saving yourself some time is everything.

You Will Need:

• At least one Wilton Tip 3 (I’ve used 6 to pipe all these colors)
• Piping bags
• A cake frosted with smooth buttercream
• ½ batch of vanilla buttercream (or other light-colored buttercream)
• Americolor Super Black color gel
• A few other color gels of your choice for the light bulbs
• Bowls and spoons for color mixing
• A cake turntable

Step 1: Chill Your Buttercream Cake

Whenever I pipe designs onto buttercream cakes, I like to start with a chilled finish. This way, I never have to worry about accidentally smudging the buttercream during the decorating process.

After you’ve frosted your cake with a smooth buttercream finish, pop it into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or until it’s firm to the touch.

Step 2: Mix Up Your Colors

Divide the vanilla buttercream into separate bowls (one for each color you’re mixing), then create black buttercream for the Christmas light cords and other colors for your light bulbs.

For my color scheme, I used Americolor Super Black for the cord and Americolor Fuschia, Lemon Yellow, Sky Blue, Mint Green, and Violet for the Christmas lights. When you’re finished with your color mixing, place the buttercream into individual piping bags fitted with Wilton Tip 3. If you only have one Wilton Tip 3, use it for piping the cord and snip a tiny opening off of each of the other piping bags you’ll be using for the light bulbs.

Step 3: Pipe Your Christmas Quote

Now that your cake is nice and chilled and your piping bags are prepped, it’s time to write out the quote on the top of the cake. If you want to plan this part out ahead, you can always write the quote out on wax paper and then use the end of a wooden skewer to imprint the tracing onto the cake (like I did in this tutorial).

Since the lettering is meant to look really wild and script-y, like you wrote it out with Christmas light cords, you can totally freehand this part too!

Step 4: Pipe the Christmas Light Bulbs

Next, pipe multi-colored dots in a random pattern along your lettering from Step 3 to light the quote up!

This part is my favorite, because it really makes everything come to life in just a few minutes.

Step 4: Pipe The Sides Of The Cake

Now that the top is finished, repeat the process of piping cords and light bulbs all over the sides of the cake. It looks best when you continue the cord from the top of the cake and loop it all around the sides with a random pattern.

It also really helps to have a good cake turntable for this part, because you can just spin as you pipe!

And there you have it – the quickest and easiest Holiday cake you’ll make all season:

What are some of your favorite Christmas song lyrics and/or sayings? I would love to see this cake design with some of them! Let me know if you try this technique by tagging me on Instagram. I absolutely love to see what you create. Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Disclaimer: this post does contain some affiliate links, meaning I may receive a small commission if you click them and purchase items I’ve recommended. Using these links won’t cost you any extra money, but they do help to keep Sugar & Sparrow up and running. Thank you for your support!

The post Merry & Bright Christmas Cake appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

One of my favorite cake decorating techniques I learned over the last year is how to to use icing spatulas and piping tips to create floral print patterns on buttercream cakes. So when my friends over at Wilton asked me to create a cake for their Holiday campaign, (after squealing) I instantly thought of recreating the buttercream floral print look with a Holiday theme! It’s easier than it looks with the right tools, a great color scheme, and some inspiration from your favorite Holiday florals and foliage (think Poinsettias, pine sprigs, snowberries, holly, and all the flowers that make you think of this festive season).

Although I already had the essential Wilton piping tips and icing spatula on hand, Wilton was kind enough to send me the perfect Icing Color Gels and decorating brush set to create the ultimate festive cake!

Here’s a video to see the techniques and step-by-step in action, and I’ll walk you through every detail below:

You Will Need:

• A cake frosted with smooth buttercream
• 1 batch of vanilla buttercream (or other light colored buttercream)
• Wilton Icing Color Gels
• Toothpicks
• Bowls and spoons for color mixing
• Piping bags
• Several Wilton Piping Tip #2 (one for each color you’re using)
• A small icing spatula
• Floral designs for tracing + wax paper and a pencil (optional)
• Wilton decorating brushes
• A small dish of water

Step 1: Chill Your Buttercream Cake  

It’s essential that you begin this technique with a cold buttercream cake as your canvas. That way, you won’t have to worry about accidentally smudging your smooth buttercream as you create the floral patterns.

After frosting (I’ve used a tiny amount of Wilton’s Creamy Peach to get this subtle cream shade for my backdrop), chill the cake for at least 30 minutes, or until the buttercream is firm to the touch.

Step 2: Prepare Your Buttercream Color Palette

While your cake is chilling, divide your buttercream into separate bowls (one for each color). Dip a toothpick into the Wilton Icing Color Gel of your choice and apply it to the first bowl of buttercream. Mix with a spoon and continue adding color until it’s the perfect shade, then repeat with the other colors. The color palette for this specific cake is Creamy Peach, Christmas Red, Juniper Green, Moss Green, Brown, Burgundy, White (non-colored vanilla buttercream), and Black.

When your icing color palette is looking perfect, prepare your piping bags by snipping off the end and fitting each one with a Wilton Tip 2. This will give you a small, perfectly circular opening for more precise piping. Fill each piping bag with your buttercream colors and marvel at how pretty they look all together!

Step 3: Create Floral Pattern Tracings (optional)

Since I am an ultra-perfectionist, I like to know what my floral patterns are going to look like on the cake and give myself a guide by tracing the patterns on prior to piping. I created and printed out templates of simple floral patterns and traced them onto wax paper, then used the dull end of a wooden skewer to imprint the patterns onto my cold buttercream cake.

For the tracings, you could also use floral designs from wrapping paper or doing an online search for Holiday floral patterns. If you’re more of a go-with-the-flow type of cake decorator, feel free to improvise the patterns as you go!

Step 4: Pipe Your Patterns Onto The Cake

Now for the fun part – piping the designs! Using your piping bags, outline the floral pattern tracings one by one. You’ll find that some designs (like the fir tree branches) will only require outlines, while other designs (like pinecones and snowberries) require dots. The Wilton Tip 2 is perfect for either of these techniques, as it allows you to drag the buttercream in precise lines or dot the buttercream on for circular textures.

For the flower designs, pipe the outline of the flower before filling a little bit of buttercream inside the petals. Use a small icing spatula to swipe the buttercream inward and create the look of petals.

Repeat the process of piping and spatula painting until your entire cake is patterned with holiday florals.

Depending on the look you’re going for, you can have as many or as little designs as you’d like!

Step 5: Smooth With Paint Brushes

After all of your piping is complete, it’s time to do a tiny bit of finish work to make everything look smooth and uniform. It’s essential to have a few paintbrushes handy (I’m using Wilton’s 5 Piece Decorating Brush Set) and a small bowl of water for this part. 

Dip your paintbrush into a tiny bit of water and gently press down on any places on the cake where sharp peaks have formed. This technique helps flatten and smooth designs like branches, berries, and anywhere your piping is peaking.

I couldn’t be happier with how this Holiday Floral Cake turned out! Wilton had the perfect paint brushes and Icing Color Gels for this palette and I am so happy to add them to my already-vast collection of Wilton cake decorating products.

What kind of festive cakes are you planning this season? There are a TON of brilliant Holiday cake ideas like this one over on Wilton’s Christmas Ideas page, so be sure to check it out for some inspiration! And if you try this buttercream floral pattern technique, be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can see your creativity in action. Happy Holiday season to you and yours!

The post Holiday Floral Buttercream Cake Tutorial appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.